1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adaptive clothing. Particularly, the present invention relates to adaptive clothing for use by persons suffering from certain diseases, medical conditions or physical handicaps. More particularly, the present invention relates to adaptive clothing worn as undergarments for holding medical catheters where persons having various medical conditions require clean intermittent catheterization for removal of body fluid wastes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Adaptive clothing has been designed and made in the past especially for persons suffering from certain diseases, medical conditions and physical handicaps. Generally, this type of adaptive clothing addresses specific needs of a patient. For instance, various garments have been devised for holding, storing, supporting, and receiving certain indwelling catheters. These garments for indwelling catheters are for use with intravenous catheters or ostomy catheters.
Intravenous catheters may be implanted inside the patient and may remain implanted for months at a time. It was important to provide a means of supporting the sterile sponge at the site where the catheter becomes exposed from the patient's body as well as supporting the protruding tube and coupling. Without the support, the tube and coupling would hang loosely down on the patient. The prior art discloses various devices for holding the exposed intravenous tubing.
Generally, ostomy patients have a stoma attached to the body. The stoma is surgically constructed through which urine or feces will pass. The size and location of the stoma varies from patient to patient as a result of the surgical procedure followed. These patients typically rely on the use of an ostomy appliance for the collection and discharge of urine and/or feces discharged through the stoma. Ostomy undergarments have been devised to provide support of the ostomy appliance for the comfort of the user.
The undergarment devices in the prior art have all been designed for patients requiring the implantation of medical appliances or devices on a long-term basis. The problem that these prior art devices have identified and try to solve is to properly support and hold the associated medical appliances connected to the patient. Additional goals of these prior art devices are the patient's comfort and the ability to hide or to minimize the apparent protrusions in the outer garments worn by these patients.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,520 (1992, D. Beaupied) teaches an ostomy garment having a pair of crisscross pocket forming panels configured to lie behind an ostomy device. The crisscross overlapping arrangement of the pocket forming panels forms an elongated slot above the crossover region. The panels are releasably joined together at their top portions over a range of relative positions, including space apart and overlapping conditions, so as to provide a measure of adjustment to the tension provided in support of the device. The panels also provide an improved degree of surrounding of the ostomy device flange when the ostomy device is emplaced relatively low on the user's abdomen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,006 (1989, D. Beaupied) teaches an ostomy undergarment having front, back and crotch panels, waist and leg bands stitched together to construct a typical panty or undergarment. The garment incorporates a retaining pocket and closure device. The retaining pocket has an opening defined by a crisscross arrangement which surrounds the connected flanges of an appliance and contains the appliance pouch apart from the user's abdomen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,355 (1985, M. Fair) teaches a loose-fitting garment for individuals wearing an ostomy appliance with an encircling band which contacts the body above the stoma. The garment has a downwardly extending fabric which covers the torso. This fabric has a large vertical opening therein and a pocket on the exterior covering a portion of the opening. The appliance fitted to the stoma extends through the opening and rests in the pocket. A cover flap is provided to shield the appliance from view.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,062 (1986, P. Schneider) teaches a re-usable intravenous catheter holder in the shape of a cut-off tank top body garment. The garment is fitted securely around the patient's chest by an elastic band around the base of the garment. The holder supports a catheter tube and coupling which protrudes from the patient's chest. The garment also provides a means whereby the shoulder strap of the garment may be opened to allow access to the catheter without removal of the holder.
These prior art devices, however, fail to address the needs and concerns of another class of persons. This class of persons are people that require artificial means for discharging body fluids such as urine on a short-term basis and only when required. These people do not require long-term implantation of catheters. They need only to implant and use the catheter each time they need to empty their bladders. An example of such a person is someone with Spina Bifida. Heretofore, there did not exist any adaptive clothing that met the needs of these persons, persons capable of self-catheterization. A person who performs self-catheterization is required to carry around a clean catheter in the user's pocket, pocketbook, purse, handbag, etc. Cleanliness and privacy are problems that are associated with intermittent catheterization. A person required to perform intermittent catheterization must do so several times a day.
What is needed is an adaptive clothing undergarment that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to clean. What is further needed is an undergarment that is specially designed for people who must undergo clean intermittent catheterization in order to empty their bladder. What is still further needed is an undergarment that holds the catheter in a secure place and keeps the catheter protected. Finally what is needed is an undergarment that allows the wearer to conveniently store the catheter before and after use, that has another holder for storing sanitary wipes for cleaning the catheter before or after each use, and that allows the user the ability to perform intermittent self-catheterization in the privacy of a bathroom stall without anyone else knowing of the user's need for intermittent self-catheterization.